Pax Paritur Bello
by s.noble
Summary: Non-massacre, AU NaruSasu- The wild Kyuubi jinchuuriki cannot be tamed so ex-Konoha Military Police Force Officer and current ANBU Captain Uchiha Sasuke must rein him in. Or die trying.


So let's pretend that the Akatsuki never happened, the fourth war never happened, and the Uchiha clan massacre didn't happen, either. Where does that leave Naruto in a 'peaceful' world?

* * *

_The Present, somewhere between Wind and River country  
_**Naruto**

The scent came suddenly and Naruto paused to breathe it in. Sweat and earthy musk, so familiar that it left an ache in his stomach. The man following him was due south and quickly closing the distance between them. His chakra was impressive and the fox demon stirred restlessly inside Naruto, ready for the possible upcoming battle. One of his favorite sports was fighting the particular man following them.

_Him again? The bastard is persistent, I'll give him that. _The Kyuubi growled quietly with begrudging respect.

The Konoha ninja had been tailing Naruto for a while now. It had all started a month ago but no matter how many times Naruto managed to lose him, the man always found him again. This was the second time in a week that the nin had emerged; he was starting to learn Naruto's habits.

Naruto scowled and took off to the east in a flash, feet weaving through the forest silently. The chase had originally been amusing but now it was quickly becoming an annoyance. He had lingered by the Wind and River country borders for a reason and the other nin was interfering with it. Naruto could only hope he could get away again before looping back around to return and find what he had come for.

The chase went on for almost an hour while Naruto tried every trick to lose him. Traps and paper bombs hidden on the trees and forest floor didn't even slightly pause the nin from the chase. The blond quickly signed the seals for his shadow clones and ten poofed into existence before he ordered them to spread out behind him in the trees. The clones would not stop the nin, but they might cause a distraction long enough for the jinchuuriki to make a clean escape.

"Teme is here _again_, boss?" One clone called loudly while another laughed, pumping his hands in the air. Naruto didn't pause to chat with them; they were a part of him. He could feel their presence and give them orders without needing to explain. They quickly formed a barrier behind him as he leapt away, much to the Kyuubi's displeasure.

_Why are we running? You know as well as I do that we can take him on. If you can't handle it, let me finish it. This endless game of hide and seek is pointless, I will rip the fool's throat out. _The fox demon sent him a wave of blood lust through their unique bond and Naruto had to grit his teeth against the onslaught of grisly images sent to falter his will.

'You know why. Now, shut up.' Naruto replied, thinking of their last fight with the Konaha nin. They had leveled an entire forest and both men had been injured. Naruto had suffered a few broken bones, but he was sure he had broken a few bones of the other nin in return. The demon inside Naruto allowed him to heal quickly, though, an advantage that their stalker didn't have. This had all happened a few weeks before but Naruto doubted the man's wounds had healed completely. They were too far out from any nearby towns or healers and if he had left to seek one, he would have never been able to find Naruto again.

It might have been better if he had left to seek healing because it seemed like another fight might be inevitable. Even this far out in the wild, a fight would bring unwanted attention and Naruto didn't have the time for more distractions.

As he ran for a few more minutes high up in the trees and the ground swimming past him, Naruto felt a ping in his chakra reserves as several clones disappeared and their memories came rushing back to him. A tall but wiry man with short jet hair and swirling vermillion eyes was the last thing the clones had seen before they had been disposed of. It was almost like he had appeared out of thin air but Naruto didn't fail to notice his usual sword hand was bandaged in a loose sling across his chest.

_That bluff isn't going to keep him busy long. Are you done screwing around yet? The only way we're going to get away is by killing this one! _The Kyuubi raged suddenly, pulling at the restraints Naruto kept firmly around the demon as he tried to take control of the jinchuuriki's body.

Naruto fought back even as the nails on his fingers grew into claws and his cerulean eyes started to turn crimson. He couldn't lose control out here. Not now. Not after getting so far. He was so close to Suna that he could almost smell the stale air and sand.

_I can sense his delicious blood... it's so close. Just imagine what it will taste like. I'll kill him slowly, devour each limb piece by piece until only his precious eyes are left. Then I'll eat those too. Ninjas are always the tastiest, next to children. _Kyuubi let out a sinister laugh, sending Naruto images of the people he had hunted when he had been free. He could taste the blood of the prey in his mouth, warm and tangy. The screams of his victims were so loud that Naruto fumbled with landing on a tree branch and fell to the ground.

The blond groaned and lay in a heap, dazed by the fall and images in his head. He clutched his head while trying to block out the grotesque visions. He couldn't let the fox take control here.

_I WON'T LET YOU STOP ME, BOY. _The Kyuubi's chakra flared inside him and he felt his fragile control break even more.

Naruto tried to think of things that made him happy; Sakura, ramen, sleeping, sexy no jutsu, Konoha in spring, and… sparring with the bastard. Things that made him himself. Naruto. He couldn't forget who he was or the demon would win.

Even that wasn't enough and Naruto felt his conscious fading quickly as the fox took over. In a last stitch effort, the jinchuuriki grabbed a kunai and slammed it into the palm of his hand without thinking. The sharp pain as the blade sliced through skin and muscle blocked everything else out. The Kyuubi's control slipped and he let out an infuriated cry but the blond ignored it. He quickly locked away the demon in the back of his mind, lest the beast try to battle him for power again. The fox melted away but he knew he'd pay for that cheap trick later.

Naruto let out a gasp as he pulled the kunai out, blood immediately seeped out of the wound and down his arm. He sat up and looked around the forest. It was quiet, almost too quiet. He quickly pulled out some bandages and wrapped the wound while keeping an eye out for the other nin. The demon's ploy for rule had cost him precious moments of escaping and he had no doubt the other man was close. He might have even witnessed the whole scene.

Almost as if he knew what Naruto was thinking, the dark haired nin landed smoothly on the other side of the clearing. He had masked his chakra and was so quiet that Naruto doubted he would have noticed him there unless he had looked for him.

Naruto stood up slowly and went into a defensive stance as the other man pointed his sword at him, looking confident despite his dominant hand being injured. He was in full ANBU gear, his red and white fox mask pushed back to show his signature glowing crimson eyes. Arm guards were in place and his short black hair spiked up around the back, framing the ANBU mask. The injured arm was still in its sling and the ANBU tattoo shined faintly with every step he took.

"Naruto." The Sharingan user said quietly, stopping a few feet from the jinchuuriki.

Uchiha Sasuke had arrived.

* * *

_Flashback – One month earlier, Konohagakure  
__**Sasuke**_

The Godaime had summoned him for another mission and Sasuke wasted no time to get up to leave the Konoha police headquarters to receive his next orders. He had just returned from a ten month spying mission in Cloud on the eight-tails jinchuuriki the week before but he preferred to stay busy. There was no reason to not be when he was in perfect health but the Hokage had insisted on a small break.

_An idle ninja is a dead one. _He thought warily. Even if she had ordered him to stop taking missions, she hadn't told him to stop training. He spent almost all of his time off at the training fields, either with Itachi or Kakashi. If he wasn't there, he was where he was currently- the military police headquarters. He helped his family with security and other problems in his spare time. If anyone was a creature of habit, it was Uchiha Sasuke.

He descended the staircase and crossed to the front door to leave when a girl called out behind him.

"Sasuke-kun! When did you get back?" It was Uchiha Miyuki, a very distant relative and current member of the taskforce. She thought her status as an Uchiha made it all right for her to pest him with useless prattle and constantly give him those pathetic doe-eyed looks that he was used to many girls giving him. It was common for Uchihas to marry inside the clan and this girl had gotten it in her head to wed him. It was all very tiresome and annoying. Sasuke preferred to be gone in the field and not deal with the nonsense of dating rituals. The only mistress he needed was his chakra.

"A few days ago. I am leaving again now." He didn't stop or turn around to acknowledge her and continued on his way but that wasn't something that would deter Miyuki.

"So soon? I didn't even see you. The Hokage needs to cut you a break, Sasuke-kun. I don't remember the last time you've been home for more than a week." She fell into step next to him as he made it outside and leapt up to the rooftops.

"You see me now." He answered curtly as they continued through the village on the top of shops and houses, making way to the Hokage's tower. He increased his speed in hopes of losing her but she kept up easily.

"Aw, you know what I mean! In any case, I wish I had known you were helping out at the station again; I would have given you a few jobs to do. Things just aren't the same around here without our favorite captain. We all miss you." The _I miss you _could be easily heard in her words but Sasuke ignored them.

"Hn." He wished she would get a hint already.

Miyuki frowned and looked slightly disheartened, but she was used to him being this way. Sasuke had never been known as a friendly guy.

"Will you let me know when you get back? I'd like to see you. Maybe we could train and then go out to eat together." She continued on shyly, heedless of his silence.

Sasuke felt a scowl lining his mouth and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He had never led her or any other girl on, for that matter, but yet she persisted all the same. They were all like that. Useless.

They landed at the front entrance to the tower and Sasuke finally turned to acknowledge her but his words were anything but warm.

"If you have time to annoy me then you have time to be training and bettering yourself as a ninja. I have no time for a lowly chuunin who is content with spending her life as a follower. When was the last time you went out on a mission instead of drinking with Shisui? Or chasing after me? A person who calls themselves a ninja must always be vigilant and strive to become more powerful." Without waiting for a reply, Sasuke left Miyuki there with much to think on in his absence.

He made his way into the tower, nodding greetings to his fellow ANBU members and other ninja that were posted as guards along each level of the building. It was still early morning and not many were around yet, so Sasuke had a blissfully quiet and quick trip to the Hokage's office.

Shizune sat outside, surrounded by a pile of paperwork. Her hair and clothes were a mess and her eyes bloodshot and tired. She had pulled another all nighter, no doubt trying to help the Hokage with her load of running a village.

She looked up tiredly when Sasuke made his way over and gave him a sleepy but warm smile. "Good morning, Sasuke. She's waiting for you, go on in."

He nodded without smiling back, sweeping past her and the two ANBU guards posted outside the Hokage's door. They let him inside without a word and closed the door quietly behind him.

The Hokage was standing next to the window that overlooked the village. The sun was rising up and cast a bright red-orange light over Konohagakure. A few of the buildings reflected the light so brightly that he was forced to blink a few times to avoid being dazed. It was still a beautiful sight, and he could see the perks of being able to look down on the village each day. The entire community could be seen from here which also provided a great tactical advantage if anyone was ever fool enough to try to assault it.

"Uchiha." The Godaime said, turning away from their beloved village and facing him. She looked tired and wary as well and Sasuke doubted she had seen any sleep yet, either. She moved to sit down behind her desk and shifted through some papers on it.

"Hokage-sama." He bowed his head slightly to greet her and show respect. Nothing else was said while the Hokage looked through the papers. She almost always made him wait before continuing and Sasuke suspected it was part of a power ploy to show him his place. It used to irk him to no end but now he was content to stand and wait while mentally going over different battle strategies in his head. He had learned to keep himself busy when waiting and found it relaxing to fine tune his fighting with mental projections that he would later try out on the training field. It had helped him fix rookie mistakes many times in the past.

He was almost done when the fifth finally spoke.

"What I am about to say is to never be spoken of to anyone but myself. Do you understand?" She almost always started with this but he nodded and made his vow all the same.

She waved a piece of paper from the desk, allowing him to take it. "This is a report from the team I sent out yesterday. The Kyuubi jinchuuriki has gone rogue again and they were sent to contain him. They failed and now we have no idea where he is currently."

Sasuke frowned while looking over the report details. He was no stranger to the dense blond, they had been teammates in their genin years. He hadn't known what secrets Naruto was hiding then until he had entered ANBU and read different reports concerning the accident in which the nine-tails was sealed in his body. It had all come as a shock to learn that the slowpoke idiot of his team was sheltering such immense power. The Naruto from back then could have hardly been called a ninja.

Team Seven had broken up several years earlier, once Sasuke had become a jonin and entered ANBU. Kakashi spent his time training him exclusively and doing missions. Naruto and Sakura had been trained under Jiraiya and Tsunade respectively, each harnessing their own talents. They still got together as a team when all four were home but that was extremely rare nowadays. The last time Sasuke had seen either one of them, Sakura had been working toward becoming head of the hospital and Naruto was off training while doing the odd mission in-between. Kakashi was a ghost unless he wanted to be found.

"We believe the seal holding the Kyuubi is weakening and his will is overpowering Naruto. Naruto has acted strangely for some time now and nothing seems to calm him. He is always looking for another fight or causing mischief in the village. It's gotten to the point to where I have one or two people in here daily to complain about something he's done.

"I think we both know that Naruto always had a fondness of pranks but never to this extent. When I ordered him to be brought in for evaluation yesterday so our sealing team could check him over, he ran off. I am afraid the demon may have more of a hold on him than we previously thought." The Hokage paused to sigh and run a hand over her face.

Sasuke said nothing and glanced over the report again but it just reflected what she had already said. The jinchuuriki was out of control and no one knew what to do. It seemed Konohagakure's ultimate weapon had outlived its usefulness in most of the villager's eyes.

"The elders would like to see Naruto… neutralized but that is not an option to me. He may be a pain in the ass but I won't allow this to end in bloodshed." The Godaime looked up at Sasuke. "Uchiha, this is your mission: Find Naruto and bring him home. I can stall the council long enough for you to conduct a search. It's imperative that you bring him back immediately so that we can fix the seal. It could be only a matter of time until it breaks and the Kyuubi is unleashed on the world again. _That _is something that must never happen."

"I understand, Hokage-sama. How often should I report in?" He laid the report back on her desk while mentally going over a list in his head of all the items he would need to gather for a possible extended mission.

"As soon as you know something. Otherwise, be sure to send a report in once weekly so I know you're not dead out there." She nodded and waved a hand. "Leave within the hour. The sooner you pick up his trail, the better it will be for all of us."

Sasuke bowed his head again and left to track down a demon.

* * *

_The Present, outside Wind's borders  
_**Sasuke**

The mission to track down Naruto was taking entirely too long. Sasuke had never been one to delay getting a job done but the jinchuuriki seemed determined to play games with him. The tracking part had been easy. Naruto left so many signs that it was obvious to even the most amateur tracker where he was going. It almost seemed as if he had fought something but there was only one set of tracks. They led south-west, as if he meant to cross borders.

_Is he fighting the demon? This could be worse than I thought._

Naruto had sensed him right away, almost even before Sasuke had noticed the blonds' signature chakra. This had led to a grueling hide and seek chase that lasted for two weeks with Sasuke slowly but steadily gaining on him. They had passed into River country before he had cornered the rogue nin. The end result had been a fight between the two, leaving the Sharingan user with a badly broken arm and an even bigger wounded pride.

The jinchuuriki had been a surprisingly tough opponent. Naruto had learned much in the last few years under Jiraiya's apprenticeship and it had been a long time since they had gone all out against each other. They sparred together occasionally and sometimes with Kakashi or Sakura, but it was obvious now that Naruto had held back.

Tsunade had not been pleased with him taking so long or of the fight between the two men. The aftershocks had been felt even there, and the council was not going to be brushed aside much longer. Naruto was causing problems out of their borders and it was only a matter of time until another village came to join the fray. Soon someone would figure out the nine-tails was out here alone and would come to destroy him.

_Danzo wants to send out Root agents to deal with Naruto and he grows more impatient each day. You must end this soon or I fear he will go behind my back. Do not engage Naruto again unless there is no other choice. _Her last correspondence had shown up a few days ago via Pakkun. Kakashi's summon had been happy to see him but Sasuke had sent him on his way again without sending a response back. He hoped the next time he had to contact the Hokage; he would have Naruto in custody.

It had been two weeks since their fight but Sasuke's arm was still throbbing. He had bound the broken limb in a temporary sling but that didn't offer much comfort while he raced through the forest. He felt exposed without his sword arm, but he couldn't back down. The Hokage and the village were counting on him. Naruto was too, but the idiot didn't even know it yet. Sasuke doubted the blond even knew how much trouble he had caused by fleeing. No matter how strong he had gotten, Naruto was still the same oblivious idiot that Sasuke had grown up with.

Naruto had run all around the border separating River and Wind countries but kept looping back to a certain point. He was looking for something or someone but Sasuke didn't give him a chance to search for very long before their cat and mouse game started back up. Being this close to the border between two foreign countries made Sasuke apprehensive but the patrols had been scarce and so far none had noticed them. He could only hope it stayed that way.

He was close enough to the jinchuuriki now that he saw flashes of blond every now and then from a distance before it disappeared again. It seemed like Naruto was a fountain of everlasting energy. Sasuke had easily kept up the first few weeks but now he felt himself lagging and being injured didn't help, either. Naruto never seemed to tire and slept only a few hours before taking off again. He had come to cherish those few hours of rest each night but he got even less sleep than Naruto for fear of falling into a deep sleep and losing him. That would not do.

They continued on and Sasuke dodged all the traps and paper bombs left to distract him. Naruto was fond of planting those and had gotten better at placing them in tricky spots but with the Sharingan glowing brightly, they posed no threat to him.

Sasuke heard a loud 'poof' and felt an increase in chakra ahead. His lips turned down in a scowl before he extracted the sword from behind his back. Naruto had summoned his clones again. The blond never seemed to tire of cheap tricks.

_If he's resorting to this then I must be getting too close for comfort. Good._

The clones came into view and Sasuke wasted no time to dispatch them. It was quick and easy, his sword danced in a deadly arch, dispatching each 'Naruto' with practiced accuracy. One of the clones flipped him off and said a few choice words as Sasuke sliced through him and he felt a smirk threatening his lips despite it all. Naruto never changed, clone or real.

Within a few minutes, Sasuke was back on Naruto's tail and he found himself closing the distance rapidly before Naruto suddenly stopped in a clearing ahead. He slowed down wearily, this was the first time Naruto had ceased in a chase and he suspected a trap.

A sudden large spike in Naruto's chakra had Sasuke masking his own and silently making his way to the jinchuuriki. The chakra was overwhelming and he recognized it as the Kyuubi's chakra that enveloped Naruto's body. He had been in the presence of that chakra a few times before, but it wasn't something anyone could easily forget. The chakra itself seemed to want to choke the life out of you.

The sight that greeted him as he looked into the clearing was not a comforting one. Naruto was on his back, holding his head and muttering to himself. His fingernails had grown into claws and were digging at his scalp. His signature orange and black outfit was tattered with the sleeves missing entirely like he had clawed them off himself at some point. Sasuke had a feeling the blonds' usual indigo eyes were now crimson too.

Sasuke gripped his sword tighter as a bead of sweat fell from his forehead and down his nose. If the demon took over out here, things would not end well. He continued watching silently as an unfamiliar feeling took place in his chest. Was it uneasiness or just wariness? Uchiha's did not fear but Sasuke did not welcome the thought of fighting a tailed beast in his current state. If he was being completely honest, with his broken arm and current stamina level, he'd be lucky to get away in one piece.

He was still standing there debating whether or not to flee when Naruto suddenly moved and stabbed a kunai in his palm. The effect was immediate and the demon's hold seemed to fade on the jinchuuriki as he pulled the blade back out. The claws disappeared along with the ominous chakra and Sasuke felt like he could breathe again. He still kept a firm grip on the sword, just in case.

Naruto sat up slowly and tended to his wound while looking around the forest. He was obviously searching for the man standing not twenty feet from him and seemed confused as to why he couldn't sense Sasuke's chakra anymore.

Sasuke watched him closely with the Sharingan for another minute, assessing if the blond was completely in charge of his body again or not. Naruto could change at a moment's notice and he couldn't afford any mistakes when dealing with something so dangerous. Sasuke decided that the kunai trick had worked and slowly stepped out from his hiding spot and allowed his chakra to flare up again.

Naruto turned to face him while going into a defensive stance but made no move to grab a weapon. He looked exhausted from the inner turmoil but not likely to back down without another fight. Sasuke could only hope he could try to talk some sense into the idiot.

"Naruto." He acknowledged quietly, pointing his sword and keeping the Sharingan trained on the blond.

"Hello, Sasuke." Naruto replied warily, his blue eyes locking with crimson ones. Sasuke briefly considered locking him in a genjustu but dismissed the idea; if Naruto managed to get loose, it would result in another fight. That had to be avoided.

They stood at a standstill for another moment, eyeing each other suspiciously, waiting for the other to make the first move. Finally, Sasuke sighed and lowered his sword.

"I'm not here to fight again, idiot." His injured arm throbbed again as if to remind him the reason why. "Are you in control of yourself now?"

Naruto flinched but relaxed his stance to rub his head sheepishly. "Sasuke… I-yes. I am." He nodded so vigorously that Sasuke wondered who he was trying to convince.

"Hn." He sheathed his sword across his back while secretly sliding a kunai in his palm for precaution. He didn't want to fight but he wasn't stupid enough to face the jinchuuriki completely unarmed.

"You're…hurt." Naruto said lamely, stating the obvious. He stared at Sasuke's arm, frowning.

"Yes, some idiot jinchuuriki attacked me. Maybe you recall." The fingers on his broken arm moved of their own accord and another stab of pain went up the arm. He gritted his teeth and glared at the blond across him.

"I'm sorry…I-that wasn't me." Naruto looked sad, blue eyes showing regret and something else Sasuke couldn't name.

"Hn. I am aware." He acknowledged but continued on, he was never one to beat around the bush. "However, that… _demon_inside you is still a part of you. You need to come back to the village, Naruto. The Hokage and council are running out of patience with you. Running away was probably one of your more brainless ideas yet."

Naruto flinched again and shook his head, "No, I can't. They want to seal away my powers and keep me in the village like a leashed pet. I'm not as stupid as you think… I can find a way to deal with this on my own. I'm not going back until then."

Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes and glared at the blond some more, instead. "You can't. The seal is weakening and it's only a matter of time until the demon takes over and forces its way out. If you really love Konoha, you should return with me now before you end up destroying it."

Naruto opened his mouth and closed it several times before he shook his head again. "I'm sorry. I can't. I understand why you think I should come back but I already have a plan. I would already be there if you hadn't decided to stalk me for weeks. This something I have to do on my own."

He was about to reply when two chakra signatures suddenly appeared to the west of them, coming from across Wind's borders. Both men froze and looked to where the source was coming from. One had almost as much chakra as Naruto himself. Both seemed strangely familiar but they weren't signatures Sasuke expected to run into out here.

_There is no way _she _is out here…_

The tension seemed to drain out of Naruto and he smiled widely, rocking back and forth on his heels. "He's here! Finally."

"Who?" Sasuke got his sword back out, nonetheless. Naruto could be entirely too trusting sometimes but Sasuke had no such qualms.

"You'll see." Naruto smirked and seemed extremely pleased with himself.

That made Sasuke even more suspicious. He glared at the blond again but had no choice but to wait for the two other ninjas to arrive. There was no way he could force Naruto back to the village in his current state if he had backup coming.

_But who? _Sasuke felt like punching the grin off the blonds' face suddenly for putting him in this position. If only the idiot had come back without a fight in the first place, his arm wouldn't be broken and he may have even already been sent on another mission some place far, far away from here.

There was a flash of movement as two people leapt from the tree tops to the ground beside them. A man with bright red hair and a matching kanji tattoo assessed Sasuke and Naruto with emerald eyes as sand swirled around behind him in the gourd that was slung across his back. The woman beside him stepped forward, smiling widely, as she swept back her cherry locks and called greetings to them.

The Kazekage and Sakura were the last two people Sasuke expected to see together. The last time he had seen the other jinchuuriki was at their chuunin finals when they had fought. Sasuke still remembered it like it was yesterday. They had never finished their fight, thanks to Orochimaru's interference but Sasuke still harbored a great deal of resentment towards the man standing in front of him. Leaf and Sand had formed an uneasy alliance after those events and Gaara had become Kazekage shortly thereafter. If the glare the red-head was aiming at him was any indication, it was safe to say that he still felt the same about Sasuke.

"Gaara! Sakura-chan!" Naruto ran forward to grab the woman and spin her around before hugging her tightly. He then went and clasped Gaara's hand before pulling him into a hug too as Sasuke watched warily.

"Naruto!" Sakura smacked him on the head. "What are you doing?! Your chakra was like a spotlight not too long ago. Anyone in the area would have felt that! You need to be more careful. You're lucky we were already looking for you."

"Yes." Gaara nodded, crossing his arms. "You didn't show up at our agreed upon time and rendezvous point so we feared the worst. We've been looking for you since we felt a huge amount of chakra in the area a few weeks ago."

Naruto laughed weakly, rubbing his head. "Um, yeah. About that…" He looked back at Sasuke guiltily.

Sakura sighed and walked over to Sasuke, reaching out to touch the injured arm. "Let's get you healed up, Sasuke-kun. We can talk about why you're out here with Naruto and injured once we're back safely in Suna."

"Hn." Sasuke supposed he had no choice in the matter now. He sheathed his sword again as he allowed her to take the broken arm out of its sling. Green chakra formed around her hands and Sasuke almost sighed in relief when she applied them to his arm. It was warm and almost tingly, causing the tension to go out of his body as the healing process began.

A few minutes passed as Gaara and Naruto conversed quietly together a few yards away with Naruto throwing his arms around and animating his words now and then. Gaara kept shooting him suspicious glances and Sasuke glared at him with crimson eyes but the man didn't seem put off in the slightest.

"Sasuke… try to play nice, okay?" Sakura said quietly, biting her lip as Sasuke turned his glare to her. She continued her healing while steadily avoiding his eyes. "Gaara is the Kazekage now and we will all be his guests soon enough. He is a good man, even if you two have your differences. Tsunade sent Gaara a message about Naruto's… problem in case Naruto came to him and he is trying his hardest to help."

He didn't bother with a response and instead stared off as she finished healing him. Standing still made him suddenly feel all the exhaustion that he had held at bay before. His body felt stiff and worn out. It wasn't long before he felt like he could drift off to sleep even while upright.

"You can turn the Sharingan off… it has to be straining your body and chakra reserves ." Sakura said quietly, as if she knew what was on Sasuke's mind.

"Mind your own business." He growled and forced himself to stand up straighter. He would not look weak to _her_.

Sakura turned red but kept quiet for the rest of the healing process. For that, at least, Sasuke was thankful.

"All done." Sakura stepped back and Sasuke experimentally moved his arm. It was still stiff from being in the sling for so long but the throbbing and pain was gone. This time, he did sigh in relief as he continued to rotate the limb until he was satisfied and let it drop to his side. He nodded his thanks as Gaara and Naruto made their way back over.

"Let's go. It will take us all day and most of the night to get back to my village. It's not safe to linger here any longer." Gaara said briskly, ignoring Sasuke entirely to talk to Naruto and Sakura.

They nodded and all three took off into the trees again without another word. Sasuke had no choice but to follow.

* * *

**Please read for some story and author background:**

Okay, so… this story almost didn't get posted. My computer died and I thought I had lost all of my writing for a few weeks until I spent a full day taking it apart and fixing the hard drive. Needless to say, I am ecstatic that I was able to save everything. I would really love to hear feedback on this to know what everyone thought because I have spent several months (yes, MONTHS) on this story already and have many chapters written and planned. I will not abandon this story but I am also very busy so keep an eye out for updates.

This will be a fairly long fic and a slow build between Naruto and Sasuke. They are rivals first and have to jump that barrier before any romance can start. That being said, my Sasuke is going to be a huge dick so expect lots of angst until he comes to terms with things. I don't plan on them being OOC but they may need to be a little bit at times to progress the relationship. I will keep them IC as much as I can at those crucial moments. They are still rivals and that element will never go away, however. Once the romance does start, expect several lemons between our two favorite boys. Also, Sai will probably not show up in this story for a while since Sasuke never left and the team never needed to replace him. The majority of this story does not take place in Konoha anyway.

And before anyone asks- this is an AU fic, obviously. The Akatsuki isn't around so let's pretend that Obito decided against world domination and is living a quiet life on the coast fishing, sewing, or some shit after letting the nine-tails loose. Or maybe Madara and him are in their own little genjustu world having tons of gay sex. It's irreverent since he will never show up in this fic. Imagine what you will ;)

Oh and Orochimaru will come into play later. He never marked Sasuke with the curse mark but that won't stop him from trying in the future! Hint hint.

Please let me know what you thought, even a one worded review is better than leaving without saying anything! Thank you for reading.


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